hINdsight

Used Tools: Processing and Max // Java

Synopsis: A performance piece where the audience witnesses the breakdown of a student over the course of a semester, juggling multiple projects, messages, and personal stress. The combination of visuals and sound is suposed to create a fragmented, overwhelming atmosphere. The title seek's to represent the idea that "in hindsight" some of the issues could have been dealt with before, but also that we are seeing (sight) inside (IN) through the student's mind.

Description: hINdsight served as my introduction to Max and its unconventional, node-based approach to coding and input. The performance was staged across two synchronized screens, each connected to a different computer. On one screen, the audience followed the student’s academic projects (represented by my own works), while the other presented their phone and social life (featuring my teammate’s works).

Through an IP-based connection, I could remotely control the appearance of visual effects on both screens from my computer, while my collaborator handled the soundscape and music. This setup allowed both elements to respond dynamically to each other, blurring the line between image and audio, were each affected the other indirectly.

The chaotic music, abrupt visuals, and overlapping layers of information were all deliberate design choices meant to simulate academic burnout. By amplifying stress and disorientation, the performance communicated the darker side of university life, where creativity is forced into overdrive under pressure.